ADAN BARE DUALE ANSWERING QUESTION ON HIS MINISTRY (Debated on 16th September, 2009)
The Assistant Minister for Livestock Development (Mr. Duale): Mr. Speaker,
Sir, I beg to reply.
(a) The CAIS was set up in 1946 vide a Gazette Notice and mandated to collect, preserve and distribute genetically superior disease-free bull semen for livestock breeding and improvement.
Currently, the station operates as a quasi-Government organization under the Director of Veterinary Services (DVS) funded by Government grants and revenues collected through sales of semen, professional services and Artificial Insemination (AI) equipment. The station has a staff establishment of 122 members out of which seven senior officers are attached to the station by the DVS. The other members of staff are employees of the station, out of which 78 per cent are key technical personnel. In addition, the station engages casual employees as need arises. The station’s physical infrastructure is made of land, buildings, laboratory facilities, motor vehicle and machinery.
The CAIS collects and processes semen for distribution according to the international semen standards where strict quality control is adhered to. In this respect, I would like to state categorically that the semen collected at the station is reliable and of high quality. Indeed, semen produced from the CAIS has been exported to many African and Asian countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Zanzibar, Pakistan and Malaysia.
At the moment, the CAIS supplies 85 per cent of the semen required in the country while we import a supply 15 per cent. The semen demand has reached a level where the CAIS is distributing as fast as it produces and with this kind of demand, the CAIS has no semen of over 20 years in stock for distribution.
However, it is a scientific fact that semen can remain viable indefinitely as long as it is stored in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of negative 196 degrees Celsius. It can even stay for 60 years or 70 years.
(b) The Government formerly provided the AI services at a subsidized cost until the policy of free supply of the AI services was changed in the 1990s under the World Bank Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) which recommended privatization of the AI services in the country. This entailed encouraging private practitioners, dairy cooperative societies and self-help groups to establish the AI services. The Ministry, through the Veterinary Department was left with the role of advising, regulating and supervising the distribution of semen to farmers.
These policy changes had an adverse effect in the livestock sector because most livestock farmers could not afford the cost of the AI. Nationally, this led to a diminished number of insemination in absolute terms from over 0.54 million in 1979 to less than 0.15 million in early 2000. This has led to deterioration of the genetic potential of the national herd as a result of poor selection and use of inferior bulls through natural mating.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, hon. Chachu and hon. Gumbo!
The Assistant Minister for Livestock Development (Mr. Duale): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, to address the following issues, my Ministry, through the CAIS based in Kabete, continues to avail superior disease-free bull semen to farmers in this country.
Four years ago, the station liberalised the marketing and distribution of its products through the appointment of 30 agents covering most of the high and medium potential areas. This partnership between the Government and the private sector has had the net effect of taking A.I services closer to end users, created jobs along the product distribution chain, and stabilised the cost of A.I services. Indeed, since the appointment of the agents, semen sales from the station have increased two-fold within the last four years. In 2008, the station sold 550 doses of semen, of which 85 per cent was used by small holder farmers in the country.
Currently, there are over 750 private A.I service providers throughout the country, who are operating under the supervision of local District Veterinary Officers. The partnership between the Government and private sector players has effectively taken A.I services closer to more livestock farmers.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Mr. Assistant Minister, your answer is very long. Can you
conclude?
The Assistant Minister for Livestock Development (Mr. Duale): Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my answer is technical, just as the issue is technical. We need to give Hon.Members more information, so that I can get very few supplementary questions. I am about to finish.
In areas where A.I services privatisation is not feasible or has not taken root, the Ministry of Livestock Development will continue rendering the service on a costrecovery basis. Efforts will be made to lobby the Treasury for additional funds to operate the service effectively.
Efforts will also be made to enlighten farmers on the benefits of A.I. services through the use of appropriate extension packages in the lowland areas, where beef farming using the East African Zebu is predominant.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Mr. Mututho: What is the average age of your bulls, and what safety valves have you put in place to make sure that there is no in-breeding now that the semen lasts forever, to make sure that off-springs from certain bulls are not repeated through daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters?
Mr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member has asked a very valid question. That is why the Director of Veterinary Services and his technical staff have the mandate of supervising and giving farmers a more modern technology in breeding, as much as we want to have our own family in-breeding amongst the Friesian, the Ayrshire, the Jersey and the Guernsey. Our technical staff, who are part of the scientific research team, will make sure that, that is not repeated.
Mr. Chepkitony: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Assistant Minister has mentioned that they privatised A.I. services in the 1990s, and farmers were to buy semen and use it themselves but that approach has not been successful in rural areas. It has only been successful amongst commercial farmers. When is the Assistant Minister going to introduce A.I. services in districts where breeding of livestock has gone down and farmers cannot afford to pay, as commercial livestock farmers do? When is he going to give us a subsidised price and have the technical staff in the districts to carry out A.I services?
Mr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I said earlier, the privatisation aspect of the A.I. service has not reached every part of the country. We only have 750 private A.I. service providers throughout the country, who are mainly in the highlands and medium areas. As the Hon. Member said, in terms of subsidy, the production cost is Kshs150 per dose, which we sell to farmers at Kshs145. So, as Government, we are already subsidizing. However, the agents do not transfer this subsidy to farmers. That is why we brought to this House the Livestock Breeding Policy – to address all these issues and make sure that farmers pay a subsidised price for this service.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Last question, Mr. Mututho!
Mr. Mututho: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, is the Government planning to buy at least one quality bull over the next couple of years, so that we can have quality semen?
Mr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not a matter of Government buying bulls. We already have 101 bulls at our farm in Kabete. So, unless he is telling us to add more, we already have 101 bulls for that purpose.
Dr. Eseli: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Is the Assistant Minister in order to say that they are not going to buy another bull, yet we know that we require genetic diversity? As Mr. Mututho said earlier, continuous use of the same bulls might lead to in-breeding. Is he in order to say that they will not buy another bull?
Dr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am in order because, out of the 101 bulls at our station, diversity is there because those bulls represent the four dairy breeds we have in this country: The Friesian, Ayrshire, Jersey and Guernsey. I said earlier that the Ministry is doing continuous research on animal breeding systems. I am sure that if we feel that we need more, we will buy some. That is part of our business.
Mr. Mututho: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. You heard the Assistant Minister say that they cannot add more bulls because they have four different bulls. What he is essentially saying is that the genetic improvement is static. Is he in order to continue misleading us that he cannot introduce new genetic materials whereas we know that already in-breeding is taking place?
Mr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I did not say that we are not in a position to increase our breeds. I said we are carrying out research on a continuous basis. Indeed, in due course, new breeds will be in place. We are part of the genetic international standards.
Mr. Baiya: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, Sir. I come from a constituency that relies so much on dairy farming. Is it correct for the Assistant Minister to say that they need to do more research when farmers are not actually receiving enough of quality bulls from CAIS? The demand is not being met. What are they going to do to ensure that there is sufficient supply to farmers?
Mr. Duale: Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of demand, I want to table a document showing how semen production and distribution has been undertaken over the last five years. The document clearly shows that we must import 15 per cent of the semen needed in the country, which is what we are doing. We produce 85 per cent of the semen needed in the country. We are going to import 15 per cent to cover the shortfall. We are working with farmers on the ground, including farmers in Mr. Baiya’s constituency. So, we will take all that into consideration.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: Order, Dr. Eseli! This Question has had a long time. We will go to the next Question. We have business that is pending. If, by any chance, you feel that the matter is so important, and that it has not been adequately addressed by the answer given by the Assistant Minister, you can use the relevant provisions of the Standing Orders to bring it up again in the House. So, do not turn a Question into debate.
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